Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 28 Oct 2011 [PDF]
• NATO Secretary General statement on end of Libya mission NATO 28 Oct 2011
• NATO Set To End Libya Mission RFE/RL 28 Oct 2011 -- Despite appeals from Libya's National Transitional Council (NTC) to stay on at least until late November, NATO has announced it will end the its mission in Libya on October 31.
• End of Libya operations announced by NATO UK MOD 28 Oct 2011 -- British military assets used in operations over Libya are on their way home tonight, following today's decision by NATO to conclude the mission on Monday 31 October 2011.
• Face of Defense: Convoys Truck Equipment Out of Iraq AFPS 28 Oct 2011 -- The number of convoys leaving Iraq is growing each day as Operation New Dawn nears the end of its mission.
• Report Cites Security Progress in Afghanistan AFPS 28 Oct 2011 -- Coalition and Afghan forces made tremendous progress over the past three months in Afghanistan, according to the Report on Progress Toward Security and Stability in Afghanistan that was submitted to Congress today.
• Report Shows Afghanistan Plan is Working, Official Says AFPS 28 Oct 2011 -- The Defense Department's latest report to Congress on Afghanistan details steady progress and shows the plan there is working, a senior defense official speaking on background told reporters here today.
• NATO Commander Cites Continued Progress in Afghanistan AFPS 28 Oct 2011 -- After a three-day trip to Afghanistan, the top U.S. European Command and NATO military officer reported positive security trends and continued momentum in transitioning security responsibility to Afghan forces.
• Combined Forces Kill 11 Insurgents, Detain 15 Suspects AFPS 28 Oct 2011 -- Afghan and coalition forces killed 11 insurgents, detained 15 suspected individuals and seized a weapons cache during operations across eastern Afghanistan yesterday, military officials reported.
• U.S. Military Waste A Smoldering Afghan Health Issue RFE/RL 28 Oct 2011
• Number of UN-assisted returns to Afghanistan drops in 2011 UN News Centre 28 Oct 2011 -- The number of Afghan refugees returning home has dropped substantially this year, with some 60,000 repatriating in the first 10 months compared to more than 100,000 over the same period in 2010, the United Nations refugee agency reported today.
• Panetta Orders Military Support for Turkey Earthquake Relief AFPS 28 Oct 2011 -- Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta today ordered U.S. European Command to provide humanitarian relief supplies to Turkey following last week's devastating earthquake, Navy Capt. John Kirby, a Pentagon spokesman, announced today.

Defense Policy / Programs

• U.S., South Korean Defense Chiefs Cite Strategic Progress AFPS 28 Oct 2011 -- The United States and South Korea are taking additional steps to advance their military cooperation into a strategic alliance of bilateral, global scope, both nations' defense leaders said today.
• US, South Korea to Increase Defense Posture Against North Korea VOA 28 Oct 2011 -- The U.S. and South Korea have pledged to 'advance combat readiness capabilities' near the disputed sea border with North Korea, warning against any future aggression by Pyongyang. The warning came as defense leaders of the two military allies met for their annual security consultative meeting.
• DOD Releases Military Intelligence Program Appropriated Top Line Budget for Fiscal 2011 DoD 28 Oct 2011 -- The Department of Defense released today the MIP appropriated top line budget for fiscal 2011.
• Navy Commissions Submarine California DoD 28 Oct 2011 -- The Navy announced today that it will commission its newest attack submarine California, Saturday, Oct. 29, 2011, during an 11 a.m. EDT ceremony at Norfolk Naval Station in Norfolk, Va.
• USS Carl Vinson, Carrier Strike Group 1 Complete Fleet Synthetic Training-Joint Exercise NNS 28 Oct 2011 -- USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) and Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 1 completed a four-day Fleet Synthetic Training-Joint Exercise (FST-J) combined with the Army, Marines, Air Force and coalition forces from the Australian and Canadian navies Oct. 28.
• Conference Highlights Expeditionary Warfare Partnerships NNS 28 Oct 2011 -- Navy officials spoke at the 16th annual National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) Expeditionary Warfare Conference at Panama City, Fla., Oct. 24-27.
• USS Ponce Gets Underway for Florida NNS 28 Oct 2011 -- Amphibious transport dock USS Ponce (LPD 15) departed Naval Station Norfolk Oct. 25 on her way to Florida, the first of her final three port calls before being decommissioned.
• Samuel B. Roberts Completes At Sea Exercise Cutlass Express NNS 28 Oct 2011 -- USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG 58) completed the inaugural at-sea portion of exercise Cutlass Express, in the Somali Basin region, Oct. 25-28.
• Iwo Jima ARG Completes First Phase of PMINT NNS 28 Oct 2011 -- Amphibious Squadron (PHIBRON) 8 and the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) embarked approximately 1,200 Marines and 1,700 Sailors to complete the first phase of PHIBRON-MEU Integrated Training (PMINT) Oct. 25 and 26.
• Camp Shields Seabees Dine at New Facility NNS 28 Oct 2011 -- Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 133 Seabees aboard Camp Shields attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a newly renovated dining facility Oct. 28.
• New wind turbines help Air Force go green AFNS 28 Oct 2011 -- Under Secretary of the Air Force Erin C. Conaton visited the Massachusetts Military Reservation in Cape Cod, Mass., Oct. 28 for a ribbon cutting ceremony for two new wind turbines.
• Army to add rotary wing unit at Lewis-McChord Army News 28 Oct 2011 -- The Army announced Oct. 25 the planned activation of the 2-158th Assault Helicopter Battalion and the 46th Aviation Support Battalion at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
• Army kicks off second Network Integration Evaluation Army News 28 Oct 2011 -- When he fought in Iraq in 2007, Capt. Joseph D. Perry did tactical communications 'the old school way, with a map board and a radio.'
• Mobility Exercise prepares MWSS-172 for rapid deployment USMC News 28 Oct 2011 -- Marines with Marine Wing Support Squadron 172 pulled out all the stops to conduct a mock squadron embarkation, a force-readiness exercise on Camp Foster Oct. 21-28.
• Hammerheads support Anti-Terrorism Battalion during troop movement exercise USMC News 28 Oct 2011 -- The Hammerheads of Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 366 conducted a troop movement exercise with Marines from Company F, Anti-Terrorism Battalion, 4th Marine Division, a reservist unit from Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., aboard Camp Lejeune Oct. 20.
• U.S. and Russia create problems for themselves by supplying arms to third countries RIA Novosti 28 Oct 2011
• British and French navies plan major exercise for 2012 UK MOD 28 Oct 2011 -- The flagships of the Royal Navy and the Marine nationale are lined up to work side-by-side next year to demonstrate the progress made between the two fleets.
• Russian submarine test-fires Bulava missile successfully RIA Novosti 28 Oct 2011 -- The Russian Navy successfully test-fired an experimental Bulava (SS-N-X-30) intercontinental ballistic missile on Friday from its Yury Dolgoruky submarine in the White Sea, the Defense Ministry said.
• Pakistan successfully test-fires cruise missile IRNA 28 Oct 2011 -- Pakistan on Friday successfully test-fired Hatf-VII cruise missile, according to an Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) press release.
• F-16 sales to Taiwan could help save U.S. aerospace industry: group CNA 28 Oct 2011 -- The United States should sell F-16 C/D fighter jets to Taiwan to prevent rising unemployment and shrinking investments in the U.S. aerospace industry, the US-Taiwan Business Council said Thursday.
• October 28, 2011 Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney The White House 28 Oct 2011
• October 28, 2011 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 28 Oct 2011

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for October 28, 2011
• CASSIDIAN has developed the most powerful ground surveillance radar worldwide EADS 28 Oct 2011 -- Cassidian, the defence and security division of EADS, has developed the world’s most powerful radar for battlefield surveillance for use by the German Armed Forces.

Other Conflicts

• 28 October 2011 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 28 Oct 2011
• General Assembly calls for greater efforts to remove threat of landmines, munitions UN News Centre 28 Oct 2011 -- The General Assembly today called on countries, institutions and United Nations agencies to step up their collective efforts to eliminate the threat posed by landmines, cluster munitions and other explosive remnants of war (ERW) as the number of deaths and injuries worldwide from such hazards continues to fall.
• ICC Prosecutor in contact with Qadhafi's son on possible surrender UN News Centre 28 Oct 2011 -- The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) said today his office is in indirect contact with Saif al-Islam Qadhafi, son of the former Libyan leader, on his possible surrender to face charges for crimes against humanity.
• Aerial bombings driving more refugees from Sudan's Blue Nile into Ethiopia – UN UN News Centre 28 Oct 2011 -- Aerial bombings in Sudan's Blue Nile state are driving a new wave of refugees into Ethiopia, with nearly 2,000 arriving in the last four days alone, the United Nations refugee agency reported today.

News Reports

• Iraqi Kurds call for compromise in oil dispute with Baghdad RIA Novosti 28 Oct 2011 -- Iraq's central government must give its semi-autonomous northern Kurdish enclave greater access to national oil revenues to secure the country's political stability and economic prosperity, a leading Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) official said on Friday.
• Witnesses Testify Alleged Arms Trafficker Was Eager to Deal VOA 28 Oct 2011 -- Two former associates of Russian businessman and alleged international arms dealer Viktor Bout, who was extradited to the U.S. from Thailand in 2010, are testifying for the prosecution at his federal trial. They followed a confidential informant who posed as an arms buyer for a group the U.S. designates as terrorist.
• Guinea-Bissau: UN official calls for multilateral cooperation to combat organized crime UN News Centre 28 Oct 2011 -- Regional and global partnerships are urgently needed to combat organized crime in Guinea-Bissau and other countries in West Africa affected by the illegal drug trade, a United Nations official has said, calling for a more integrated approach in the region.